The Minnesota Vikings have a very powerful passing game with Justin Jefferson, Jalen Nailor, and Jordan Addison able to catch passes. Despite strong playmakers on the team, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell made a shocking decision on Addison for the Cleveland Browns clash.
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Per multiple reports, Addison was benched during the first quarter of the game, which was deemed a coach’s decision.
There are no details about why Addison was benched, but he is now on the field for the second quarter.
Addison was suspended for the first three games of the season due to violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy, but has since made it back to the field for Week 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers. During the loss, he exploded with four receptions for 114 yards.
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Addison is one of the best playmakers on the Vikings and his not being on the field is definitely a strange decision to make. It could have been a behavior issue that led to O’Connell benching the star receiver, but this is just speculation.
At the time of this writing, the score for the Vikings and Browns game is 7-7. There is no telling what Addison may have been able to add to the Minnesota offense had he been on the field for the first quarter, but the team can now use him in the passing game.
The Vikings are engaging in their second international game of the season. The team took on the Steelers in Dublin, Ireland, and is now facing the Browns in England.
Minnesota needs a bounce-back win, and Addison being on the field gives them a much better chance to do so. It will be interesting to see what O’Connell says about the Addison situation following the game’s conclusion.
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